Week 8, Day 2, foundation phase

Started with deadlifts today, I planned on working up to a top set of 585. Since I was using a belt I hoped to get a double. Everything felt pretty good up through my 545x2 set. I ended up only doing a single with 585 because I couldn't stay tight enough on the way down. I like to control the negative and if I can't do a tensioned pause at the bottom of the rep, I stop the set.

I was a little disappointed in not getting 585x2 but it was still a better rep than the last time I pulled it for a single prior to my last meet. I finished up with 495x3x2 sets. It was a bit more deadlifting volume than I've done in a long time and things felt good. It was a good finish to 8 weeks of foundation work and I'm definitely starting my next meet prep training cycle from a much better position than anytime in the previous 5 years.

I'm going to keep the snatch grip stiff-legged deadlifts in the rotation on alternate weeks with regular deadlifts. I feel like they're really helping with speed off the floor while still being light enough to not adversely impact my lower back recovery.

I also worked up to a heavy, full ROM single in the bench press. It's been 3 weeks since I used anything above 75% of my 1 RM for a full ROM bench press and I was pretty curious to see how things would respond to lighter full ROM work and specialized, limited ROM work.

I mis-remembered what my last heavy single from my July 19 session was but the mis-remember worked in my favour since I thought it was heavier. I did a paused double with 315 and then a good paused single with 335. I had thought I did a single with 335 back on July 19 but when I checked my log, I realized I had done 330x1 instead. Back in July, that single was slow even if I was never in doubt of completing the lift. This time, the 335 moved off my chest faster than expected, slowed some in the transition and to the finish. It was definitely easier than the 330x1 slightly less than a month ago.

All in all it was a pretty good bench press session, especially coming after some decent deadlift work. I'll keep doing what I've been doing and test full ROM again in three weeks.

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